The long‑standing partnership between the AFP and the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has resulted in six children being removed from harm and four adults - one Australian and three Philippine nationals - charged over their alleged roles in exploiting them.
The Australian man - a 56-year-old from Penrith, NSW - was sentenced on 16 March, 2026, to at least seven years' imprisonment for encouraging and grooming adults in the Philippines to facilitate online sexual activity with children.
The man was sentenced to 10 years and four months' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of seven years, by the NSW District Court. He had pleaded guilty to:
One count of encouraging an individual to engage in sexual intercourse with a child outside Australia, contrary to section 272.8(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
Two counts of grooming a person to make it easier to engage in sexual activity with a child outside Australia, contrary to section 272.15A of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The close partnership and information sharing between the NBI and AFP led to the disruption of the offending.
In June, 2024, NBI investigators charged a Philippines woman who was allegedly facilitating the Live Online Child Sexual Abuse (LOCSA) of her four children. A review of the woman's phone identified communications with an Australian man, and this information was shared with investigators at AFP's Post in Manila.
In October, 2024, AFP investigators in NSW executed a search warrant at a Penrith home and seized electronic devices and charged the 56-year-old man for his role in the LOCSA offending. A review of his electronic devices led to intelligence about another alleged LOCSA facilitator based in Mindanao, Philippines.
This intelligence was shared with the NBI by AFP investigators in Manila, resulting in the removal of two children from harm in December, 2025. A man and woman were arrested for their alleged roles in LOCSA.
AFP Commander South East Asia Craig Palmer said these outcomes highlighted the strength of the partnership between the AFP and Philippines authorities.
"Child protection is a global responsibility. Our international law enforcement network is critical to ensuring vulnerable children are not left to suffer in silence," Commander Palmer said.
"The AFP has more than 450 international partnerships, and this case reinforces how essential those relationships are. When agencies work together, we can intervene earlier, help more children, and ensure offenders - whether in Australia or overseas - cannot hide behind borders or a computer screen.
"Our message to offenders is simple: no matter where you are, the AFP and our international partners will find you. There is no safe country, no safe device, and no safe distance for those who exploit children."
NBI Violence Against Women and Children Division Acting Chief Marie Catherine Nolasco-Illescas said: "The NBI remains resolute in protecting children from exploitation, both online and offline.
"These cases highlight the power of international cooperation in identifying offenders and securing the safety of victims," acting Chief Nolasco-Illescas said.
"Let these cases serve as a clear warning: there is no safe haven for those who exploit children. There is no hiding behind borders, aliases, or technology. No case is beyond our reach when it comes to the safety and dignity of every child."
In 2025, 92 children were removed from harm and 18 alleged child exploitation facilitators in the Philippines were charged as a result of investigations coordinated by the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC).
